The GOP's Bathroom Problem

[Lasher]

What's up with Republican politicos getting arrested by undercover cops for soliciting sex in public restrooms? First, Florida state representative Bob Allen, formerly John McCain's state campaign co-chair, was arrested in July after he offered a police officer $20 for the privilege of performing oral sex. And today, news broke that back in June, Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho), long the subject of gay rumors, was arrested in a Minnesota airport by a plainclothes cop investigating lewd conduct in the men's bathroom. Both men are married--to women.

The moment is so thick with irony, I scarcely know where to begin. But let's start with their incredibly lame attempts at damage control. Upon arrest, both Allen and Craig attempted to use their positions of power to escape charges (Craig handed over his US Senate business card to the officer and asked, "What do you think about that?).

Post-arrest, Allen, appealing at once to homophobia and racism, mounted a "black (gay) panic" defense. You see he wasn't really interested in giving head, he was just trying to save his neck. Apparently, the cop was "a pretty stocky black guy" and "there were nothing but other black guys around in the park." Fearing he was "about to become a statistic," Allen did what any other, rational, straight (straight!), white man would do if he just so happened to find himself cruising a public restroom full of black men: fork over a Jackson and drop to your knees.

Less hysterical, but equally flimsy, is Craig's story. Through his spokesman, Craig said that the whole incident was just a "he said/he said misunderstanding." Last year, when gay blogger Mike Rogers alleged that Craig had engaged in same-sex relations, Craig called the story "absolutely ridiculous, almost laughable." I wonder if Craig was laughing on August 8--when he plead guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges in a Minnesota County Court.

Of course, both Republicans have a long history of support for anti-gay legislation--in Craig's case votes for the Federal Marriage Amendment and in Allen's a court brief against gay adoption and authorship of a failed bill to ratchet up penalties for "unnatural and lascivious acts."

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?pid=227318

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

1. Jeff Gannon

can't be everything to everybody! (OK, just Cheney!)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. I think the anti-gay legislation is an offshoot

of their own self-loathing. I'd rather have openly gay representatives, like Barney Frank--they are at peace with themselves.

[Lasher]

3. It's also calculated pandering to those who don't like GLBTs

Nothing like an anti-gay amendment on the ballot to get those religious fundies to turn out in droves.

[Stewie]

4. Homer said it best

"I like my beer cold, my TV loud and my homosexuals flaaaaming."

[cyr330]

5. Ratcheting up penalties for "unnatural" and "lascivious" acts?

I somehow can't envision either one of them being punished more severely (as they so hoped others would be) because of legislation they both pushed! That would be too ironic. Too bad it will never happen.